Surveying system

Abstract

A system is disclosed that comprises a camera module and a control and evaluation unit. The camera module is designed to be attached to the surveying pole and comprises at least one camera for capturing images. The control and evaluation unit has stored a program with program code so as to control and execute a functionality in which a series of images of the surrounding is captured with the at least one camera; a SLAM-evaluation with a defined algorithm using the series of images is performed, wherein a reference point field is built up and poses for the captured images are determined; and, based on the determined poses, a point cloud comprising 3D-positions of points of the surrounding can be computed by forward intersection using the series of images, particularly by using dense matching algorithm.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Surveying subsystem comprising a camera module and a control and evaluation unit,
 the camera module comprising at least one camera for capturing images, 
 an inertial measuring unit being associated with the surveying subsystem in a fixed spatial relationship relative to the surveying subsystem, 
 the control and evaluation unit having stored a program with program code so as to control and execute a calibration functionality in which—when moving along a path through a surrounding
 inertial measuring data is gathered while moving along the path, 
 camera-based localisation data is generated, wherefore
 a series of images of the surrounding is captured with the at least one camera, the series comprising an amount of images captured with different poses of the camera, the poses representing respective positions and orientations of the camera, 
 a SLAM-evaluation with a defined algorithm using the series of images is performed, wherein a plurality of respectively corresponding image points are identified in each of several sub-groups of images of the series of images and, based on resection and forward intersection using the plurality of respectively corresponding image points, 
 a reference point field is built up comprising a plurality of reference points of the surrounding, wherein coordinates of the reference points are derived, and 
 
 
 the poses for the images are determined, and
 calibration parameters for the inertial measuring unit are derived based on the gathered inertial measuring data and the camera-based localisation data. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The subsystem according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit is configured so that the calibration functionality is controlled and executed in such a way, that the calibration parameters are derived using a Kalman filter. 
 
     
     
       3. The subsystem according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit is configured so that the calibration functionality is controlled and executed in such a way, that the inertial measuring unit is calibrated using the derived calibration parameters, wherein a systematic error of the inertial measuring unit is compensated, particularly wherein a bias of the inertial measuring unit is compensated. 
 
     
     
       4. The subsystem according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the camera module is designed to be attached to a hand-carried surveying pole such that said surveying subsystem is adapted to be used as part of a surveying system that is adapted to determine positions of a position measuring resource also being mounted on the surveying pole. 
 
     
     
       5. The subsystem according to  claim 4 , wherein the position measuring resource comprises a GNSS-antenna or a retro-reflector. 
     
     
       6. The subsystem according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit is configured so that the calibration functionality is controlled and executed in such a way, that the generation of camera-based localisation data further includes
 retrieving—from the surveying system—determined positions that are adopted by the position measuring resource when moving along the path; and 
 deriving external orientations of the at least one camera and/or the surveying pole in the coordinate system of the surveying system, in particular in all three rotational degrees of freedom, more particularly positions and external orientations in six degrees of freedom, based 
 on the determined poses for the images of the series of images and 
 on a multitude of determined positions of the position measuring resource, in particular a travelling history for the moved path. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The subsystem according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit having stored a program with program code so as to control and execute a spatial representation generation functionality in which—when moving along a path through a surrounding
 a series of images of the surrounding is captured with the at least one camera, the series comprising an amount of images captured with different poses of the camera, the poses representing respective positions and orientations of the camera, 
 inertial measuring data—considering the derived calibration parameters—is gathered while moving along the path, 
 a SLAM-evaluation with a defined algorithm using the series of images as well as the gathered inertial measuring data is performed, wherein a plurality of respectively corresponding image points are identified in each of several sub-groups of images of the series of images and, based on resection and forward intersection using the plurality of respectively corresponding image points, 
 a reference point field is built up comprising a plurality of reference points of the surrounding, wherein coordinates of the reference points are derived, and 
 the poses for the images are determined, and 
 
 based on the determined poses, a point cloud comprising 3D-positions of points of the surrounding is computed by forward intersection using the images of the series of images. 
 
     
     
       8. The subsystem according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit is configured so that the spatial representation generation functionality is controlled and executed in such a way, that
 determined positions of the position measuring resource for points that have been adopted on the path are received by the control and evaluation unit from the surveying system and 
 the point cloud is scaled, and particularly geo-referenced, with help of the received determined positions. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The subsystem according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control and evaluation unit is configured so that the spatial representation generation functionality is controlled and executed in such a way, that a graphical reproduction is generated for the scaled point cloud, the graphical reproduction being displayable by display means of the surveying system. 
 
     
     
       10. The subsystem according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera module comprises at least four cameras arranged relative to each other so that panoramic images with a field of view of 360° in azimuthal direction are capturable. 
     
     
       11. The subsystem according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least four cameras are fixedly arranged in a common housing of the camera module. 
     
     
       12. The subsystem according to  claim 10 , wherein the inertial measuring unit is fixedly integrated into the common housing of the camera module. 
     
     
       13. A surveying system comprising
 a hand-carried surveying pole, 
 a position measuring resource being mounted on the surveying pole, wherein positions of the position measuring resource are determinable by the surveying system, particularly wherein the position measuring resource comprises a GNSS-antenna or a retro-reflector, 
 a surveying subsystem according  claim 1 , and 
 an inertial measuring unit being associated with the surveying subsystem or the position measuring resource in a fixed spatial relationship relative to the surveying subsystem.